Bailey led Jim Valvano's NC State team in scoring and rebounding during the miracle run to the 1983 NCAA championship, and the Jazz took him seventh in that summer's draft — for his character as much as his game, management said. Once Karl Malone arrived, Bailey became a premier reserve, scoring 19.6 a game in 1987-88 and twice finishing second in Sixth Man of the Year voting. He missed only four eligible games as a Jazzman and returned for a farewell season in 1998-99.
Big T never really left Utah — he broadcasts Jazz and University of Utah games, records albums as a singer-songwriter, and raises his family in Highland. While playing in Italy he joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, baptized on New Year's Eve 1995.
HOW HE CAME & WENTUtah took him seventh overall in 1983, saying openly he was chosen for his character as much as his game. On November 25, 1991 the Jazz traded him to Minnesota for Tyrone Corbin — they wanted a defender for smaller, quicker forwards. Scott Layden called it a tough deal. Bailey came back as a free agent in 1999 and retired here.
No photograph of this signature is online yet.
| SEASON | TEAM | G | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983–84 | UTA | 81 | 24.8 | 8.5 | 5.7 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 1.5 | .512 | — | .752 |
| 1984–85 | UTA | 80 | 31.0 | 15.2 | 6.6 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 1.3 | .490 | 1.000 | .842 |
| 1985–86 | UTA | 82 | 28.8 | 14.6 | 6.0 | 1.9 | 0.5 | 1.4 | .448 | .000 | .830 |
| 1986–87 | UTA | 81 | 26.6 | 13.8 | 5.3 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 1.1 | .447 | .000 | .805 |
| 1987–88 | UTA | 82 | 34.2 | 19.6 | 6.5 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 1.5 | .492 | .333 | .826 |
| 1988–89 | UTA | 82 | 33.9 | 19.5 | 5.5 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 1.1 | .483 | .400 | .825 |
| 1989–90 | UTA | 82 | 31.5 | 14.2 | 5.0 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 1.2 | .481 | .000 | .779 |
| 1990–91 | UTA | 82 | 30.3 | 12.4 | 5.0 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 1.1 | .458 | .000 | .808 |
| 1991–92 | UTA | 13 | 25.2 | 9.4 | 6.0 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 1.2 | .386 | .000 | .800 |
| 1998–99 | UTA | 43 | 12.6 | 4.2 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.7 | .446 | .000 | .735 |
| JAZZ TOTAL | 10 SEASONS | 708 | 29.0 | 14.0 | 5.5 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 1.2 | .474 | .125 | .812 |
Season by season, regular season, with this franchise only. More info: Basketball-Reference ↗ · Wikipedia ↗